Bits and Pieces
by leighbenz9000
Summary: Bits and pieces of the Percy Jackson series, all written to highlight important moments in the lives of the beloved heroes. Romance, drama, humor, Percabeth... everything! A few sentence drabbles. Some reference events in the books, others are more original. Rated T- although there IS swearing.


**A/N: Hi Everyone! These are bits and pieces of the Percy Jackson series that I wrote and compiled. They're all short stories (just a few sentences). Some are romantic, others sad, others funny... so there's something for everyone. Each snippet was influenced by a song on my iPod. I'm sure you can figure some of them out, but I didn't post the songs here because I didn't want people's opinions of the music influencing the writing. If you want me to send you the list, just PM me and I'm happy to do that.**

**Please please please tell me in the reviews which are your favorites. Also, if there's one you'd like to see extended into a longer story, tell me that too. These are just flashes of the Percy Jackson series and I'd love to know what you guys like and want to read more of! I'm also happy to write more of these little drabbles if you guys want another chapter... it just depends on the interest.**

**Read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

"Percy, stop doing that," Annabeth chastised, rolling her eyes as Percy shimmied his shoulders obnoxiously and grabbed her hand, attempting to twirl her.

"I don't dance," she reminded him, pulling her hand away and placing both of hers on her hips.

"Please, Wise Girl? Just one dance?" he begged, pouting his bottom lip and giving her his best puppy-dog look.

She sighed, unmoved.

"I can't do it," she insisted. "This music is too loud and I can't concentrate and…"

Percy silenced her with a kiss.

"But Annabeth," he grabbed both her hands in his and met her eyes, surprised to see her blushing profusely, "I love you."

Annabeth's jaw tightened and Percy dropped her hands, waiting for rejection.

Which is why he was shocked when Annabeth grabbed his waist and led him out to the dance floor.

"Just. One," she emphasized, her eyes saying 'I love you' back a thousand times over.

* * *

The last time Nico saw sunlight, it was actually a rainy day.

Just as the last drops of water fell from the sky, he shadow traveled to the Underworld, beams of light splitting through the clouds and illuminating his face for a fraction of a second.

A face, cracked with pain. One hand clutched his chest in horror as if it was the only thing stopping his heart from falling out.

And so now he condemned himself to a world of darkness— a realm so cold that the fires of hell within could not warm his soul.

But Rachel was there, so he was coming.

* * *

The simple truth was that she didn't want him anymore. No matter how he tried to justify it, no matter how many angles he looked at the situation, there was no escaping the conclusion he reached every single time.

She didn't return his love.

Luke stared at the clock next to his bed. He could have sworn it had been stuck at 3am for the past hour, time basking in his pain.

She claimed that he was "holding her down" and that she needed more "freedom."

He offered to go with her, to take her to the ends of the earth and more. But Thalia refused and once she made up her mind, there was nothing he could do to change it.

He consoled himself by waking in the darkness that reminded him so much of her.

* * *

It was a funny thing how Annabeth decided she loved Percy. It was a slow process, and she refused to make up her mind until she was totally sure.

But once she realized that she loved him, the relief was greater than the weight of the world being lifted off her shoulders. And she knew firsthand how _that_ felt.

She woke up one morning and everything was different. She tried to laugh it off, insisting that she was being a hopeless romantic and nothing had changed.

But she could have sworn the sun was just a little brighter that day. And for the first time in her life, Annabeth felt really, truly loved back.

* * *

"I'm so tired of this _shit,_" Rachel spat, her face almost as red as her hair. "One minute you're totally in love with me and the next minute you insist we're better off as friends. Make up your mind, Nico."

"Well maybe if you weren't the Oracle, this would be a little easier," he replied angrily, walking to the door to leave.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" Rachel sprinted over to Nico, blocking the door before he could open it. "Don't you dare blame your inability to realize what you want on the fact that I'm the Oracle. That has nothing to do with this."

"There's nothing wrong with me," he insisted, glaring at her threateningly.

"Oh sure," she reprimanded him sarcastically. "Except for the tiny, itsy bitsy problem of actually COMMUNICATING with me. It's despicable, and I'm tired of it."

"Well," he shrugged, placing his hands on her shoulders and attempting to move her out of the way. "I don't see why it's such a concern for you. If I'm so awful why don't you just leave me alone?"

"Because," she faltered, allowing herself to be moved aside, "you kissed me… and I thought it meant something."

* * *

Katie Gardener had a reputation at camp for being a sweet, generally quiet girl. Sure, she could get bossy at times, but that was part of her nature and she usually made up for it with a basket of strawberries a few moments later.

Which is why everyone at camp was shocked when she got a dartboard—and taped a picture of Travis' head right in the center.

They had previously been dating for about a month, much to the relief of everyone at camp who thought that was _way_ overdue.

However, apparently a prank had gone "too far" and Katie was appalled that Travis would play a joke on his own girlfriend.

She shut him out immediately, not just avoiding him, but going out of her way to make sure he knew _exactly_ how she felt about him now.

* * *

Nico and Rachel were destined to be together. After all, both of them could raise hell.

Nico, quite literally.

And Rachel? It wasn't good to get on her bad side. If she was upset about something, she sure as hell made sure everyone within a ten-mile radius knew about it.

Their personalities were not similar—in fact, they were opposites. Together, on a good day, this worked out quite well. What they say about opposites attracting was true in their case.

On a bad day? Well, too much of a good thing is a very, _very_ bad thing.

* * *

"This song reminds me of you," Percy said, glancing over at Annabeth with a bashful expression on his face.

She looked up from her book and listened to the car radio a moment, recognition of the Van Morrison song soon visible in her eyes.

"Percy," she snorted, closing her book. "I don't have brown eyes. Neither do you. It doesn't work."

"I know," Percy shrugged. "But is there a reason you can't be my gray-eyed girl?"

* * *

The music began playing and all Percy could see was Annabeth. The people in the background faded away— their ceaseless chatter silenced. In Percy's mind, everyone who had gathered for the wedding was reduced to nothing. Even the fountain had stopped splashing for this dance.

Annabeth was Percy's world, now and forever.

He pondered briefly, as her shining eyes full of lust and emotion bore into his, if it was destiny that they were here today. He spun her around, watching her dress splay out, then twist around her ankles.

When she turned back to face him, he could have sworn gravity was pulling her closer to him.

And in that moment, Percy knew that no matter what the Fates had predetermined for his life, he would have ended up with Annabeth in the end.

* * *

Annabeth couldn't take it anymore. If her parents yelled at her one more time, she would break. She was convinced the words themselves would tear her apart until she was reduced to shreds.

She could feel them feeding off her sadness. Her parents knew she was close to the end, and they were pushing her to see how far she could take it.

Annabeth wasn't going to stick around so they could watch her lose.

Tears streaming down her face, she packed all her belongings and left.

Laughter echoed from inside her house, and even though she was only seven, Annabeth swore she would have a real family one day.

* * *

Nico knew he didn't fit in. Not in the mortal world, and perhaps even less at camp.

He was the son of Hades. He shouldn't have been alive. Even the other demigods looked down on him, some in disgust, others in fear.

Usually he would turn to his sister, but she was gone too.

A few people tried to talk to him, but Nico returned their conversations with reserved, sarcastic remarks.

He didn't let anyone see the pain, loneliness, and burden he carried inside. After all, it was easier to just shut people out. Trusting others had never worked out before.

* * *

"I don't know what to do," Thalia admitted, warming her hands by the fire and looking up tentatively.

Luke looked back at her, his eyes examining her face in search of an explanation.

"This is all so _fucked up_," she swore, scrutinizing the flames as if they contained the answers.

"What is?" Luke prodded, warily glancing at Annabeth. To his relief, she was curled up in a ball, snoring lightly.

"We have monsters chasing us constantly, anxious for our heads. I used to deal with this alone and now I've dragged you two into it as well and I just can't take the guilt anymore." Her eyes were hard as flint, red and orange reflecting in her irises.

"Don't feel bad," he soothed her as best he could manage. "We all had to deal with it before on our own. Now at least we can face—whatever this is—together."

She felt a finger lift her chin, and she reluctantly turned to meet his gaze.

"The gods have some sort of plan for me, or something. Luke, I'm just not ready. I don't want this."

He could almost sense the fear eating her alive and, in that moment, he knew he would do anything for her.

"We're a family," he said, sealing his decision with his words. "And real families don't leave anyone behind."

* * *

Tears streamed down Percy's face as he waited for Annabeth. Uncontrollable sobs retched through chest and he shuddered with each one, his body sending irrepressible tremors down his spine.

He heard her enter the apartment and saw her, through his blurred vision, reach for him with outstretched arms.

Eventually, the tears faded and the hollow sting of loss settled, the silence Sally's old apartment deafening.

Annabeth kissed his cheeks, still salty with fresh tears, and refused to cry, no matter how much the pain hurt.

Instead, she held him all night as he learned to live in a world without his mother.

* * *

The truth was that Annabeth was scared— not necessarily of getting pregnant like most people her age.

She was scared of giving everything up to Percy. Sure, they had gone far and taking the final step wasn't going to be that dramatic.

Or at least, she thought it shouldn't.

But the truth was that Annabeth had no idea what was going to happen, and that was what terrified her. She was used to being in control, always having the ability to analyze all possible outcomes.

This time, she was clueless and she didn't want what she had built with Percy to come crumbling down.

* * *

Their house was filled with everything—from Rachel's odd sculptures on the fireplace mantle to Nico's beanbag that he insisted was the best place to take a nap.

But most of all, their house was filled with life and memories and bits and pieces of happiness. Like one of Rachel's abstract paintings, every moment was filled with color. And as much as Nico pretended he detested it, each burst of randomness made him smile.

It was the home they never had before, and a life they were determined to create.

"It's true," Rachel said thoughtfully one day as she hung a photograph on the refrigerator, "there is a difference between a house and a home."

* * *

Thalia was not one to share her emotions easily. Yes, she was erratic and energetic and perhaps a little too talkative and cocky sometimes but that just the image she exuded.

And no one wanted to hear her sad little story anyways. She always shrugged it off, claiming she didn't need pity.

But for the first time as Thalia opened her heart and tried to explain herself, she had to admit that it felt kind of nice for someone to feel bad for her.

At least just a _little._

* * *

Silena couldn't stand that they considered her a hero. She betrayed the camp, nearly costing all her friends their lives, and yet they still showered her with love and affection. They still wept as she screamed.

And as she lay on the pavement, bleeding and broken, she knew it would have been much easier if they hated her.

In her last few moments of life, the guilt consumed her, making her death so much more painful.

* * *

If it weren't for his family, Luke would have destroyed the world. He had gone so far, come so close, and was so near his goal.

But when the time came to finally complete it, he had doubts. Not just the kind that lingered in the back of his mind. They were strong enough to make him sick.

He hated the gods, that much he knew. More than that, he hated his supposed fate, and he hated himself for not being what his dad wanted. Clearly there was something wrong with him since he had been ignored for so long.

But as he looked into Annabeth's shining gray eyes, he knew he was wrong. The tiny part of him that wasn't so sure won over as he finally realized how hypocritical he was. _He_ was turning his back on his own family… his real one.

So for the sake of Thalia and Annabeth, he finally wasn't confused anymore.

* * *

"It's gorgeous," Annabeth beamed, her voice hushed in awe as she looked around her eagerly.

"Oui, oui," Percy joked, twirling an invisible mustache.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, gave him a fleeting kiss on the lips, and turned to read a sign about the symmetrical gardens of Versailles.

Even though it didn't really interest Percy, he pretended wholeheartedly to care. He patiently listened to every explanation about the French kings and their battles, and didn't complain during Annabeth's frequent rants about the architecture in Paris that was so _incroyable._

"I just don't know what to look at," she began, her hand somehow finding its way into Percy's though she never took her eyes off the landscape, "because there are too many things to see at once. I feel like I'm missing something spectacular every time I tear my eyes away to look at something else."

Percy didn't really understand her problem, because as far as he was concerned there was only one thing in all of France that was worth looking at.

* * *

Katie blushed, her cheeks as rosy as the basket of strawberries in her hands.

"It's true," Travis insisted, watching her gaze settle on her feet, her long lashes fluttering shyly.

Travis didn't understand why she was so embarrassed, but he didn't mind the reaction. He liked the red stains that spread across her face, the way she bit her bottom lip and shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"Sing me something else," Travis asked, leaning back against a tree and watching his girlfriend's mouth open in song.

* * *

The demigods stood in a half circle, eyeing the building warily.

Pedestrians were frozen in the street, their blank faces unknowing, unaware. The city was silent, almost as if all of New York had gone to sleep during the bright hours of the day.

All of a sudden, a large crash echoed throughout the building, and the campers drew their weapons. This is what they had been training for.

It was time.


End file.
